Agenda item

8.1

The Policy and Information Officer presented the report which was originally designed to be an interim report and that scrutiny policy work on food policy would continue during 2021/22 and should have been presented to the April meeting of Cabinet which had been cancelled.  However, due to changes to the committee structures following the elections in May 2021, the scrutiny work is no longer ongoing.  Members felt that it was important to present the report to Co-operative Executive to inform future work around poverty.

8.2

The first phase of the scrutiny work had focussed on city-wide, strategic issues and the working group spoke to a wide range of people including Sheffield City Council officers, VCF organisations, food projects and academics.  A public ‘Call for Evidence’ also took place and invited people to share their experience of food poverty.

8.3

Councillors Cate McDonald and Douglas Johnson had been involved in the cross party working group and Councillor McDonald thanked the members of the working group and officers and all those who had made contributions.

8.4

Councillor Johnson thanked the Policy and Information Officer for the report and said that there was more to do in respect of poverty as a whole.

8.5

RESOLVED: That Co-operative Executive

1. Thank the Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee for its work in relation to Food Poverty in Sheffield;

2. Consider and note the Scrutiny Food Poverty Working Group Report that is attached as Appendix 1 to this report;

3. Agree that a Co-operative Executive response to the recommendations in the report be provided to a future meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee; and

4. Add Food Poverty to the discussions at the forthcoming summit on poverty.

8.6

Reasons for Decision

8.6.1

The Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee asks the Co-operative Executive to consider and respond to the recommendations of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee, with the aim of improving the Council’s response to food poverty.

8.7

Alternatives Considered and Rejected

8.7.1

The working group heard and discussed many issues during the course of this work, and identified areas for consideration in future policy development work on food poverty (see section 3.5 of the report).